A bar that has faced scrutiny in the past and denied a conditional use permit to continue operating is going back to the Gulf Shores City Council for another try. SingPlayDance is seeking the CUP in the old Cohiba Dunes space in the Pelican Place shopping complex. Late-night troubles at the club led to arrests and attention from Gulf Shores Police in the past. On June 16, the request first came to the council in a work session.

The council will meet in a regular session and take up the matter again on July 28 at 4 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.

The request is for a lounge/bar use for the business. Owners tried to incorporate an arcade and karaoke to attract daytime and early-evening customers but also asked city leaders to allow for late-night hours, following police department guidelines. Staff recommended denial of the CUP at the planning commission’s May meeting. 

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Any CUP requests must be approved by the council, and the planning commission can only issue a recommendation. Although city rules call for two public hearings, the council can suspend the rules and immediately consider the proposed change after the first.

During the meeting, the council will also:

• Have a public hearing on a planned unit development on the Foley Beach Express north of the Auburn University Veterinary Specialists building, including 300 multi-family units along with commercial and retail space on the 23-acre site.
• Consider a contract with the NCAA and a $190,000 annual sponsorship from the city for the Sand Volleyball National Championships in 2026-31.
• Discuss a contract to host the Southern States Track and Field Championships at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex on April 19-21.
• Consider a 1-year franchise agreement with a 1-year option of the Hangout Music Festival to allow the event to take place on city beaches at Gulf Place.
• Discuss amending the vacation rental inspections ordinance to require inspections every five years instead of the current three-year requirement.
• Discuss awarding a franchise to Surfside Shuttle to operate a taxi service in Gulf Shores.

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